I had never heard of Auzoux, so I had to ask Mr. Google.....

His recipes for PM are said to have been 'secret', but the mixture contained cork and clay as well as paper and glue: http://www.hps.cam.ac.uk/whipple/explor … uxsmodels/

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History has some photos of the models, and x-rays of the interior armatures.  If you go to COLLECTIONS and click on them individually, some say 'Établissements du docteur Auzoux 1928 (and other years) ' so I doubt that they are actually the work of Auzoux, or he was more than 300 years old at the time):  http://americanhistory.si.edu/anatomy/h … _main.html

If it is of interest to anyone, there is an online translation of his book, De Humani Corporis Fabrica (On the Fabric of the Human Body (1543, 1555)
at http://vesalius.northwestern.edu/noflash.html

Sue

From Alexandra Gerner's 'NINETEENTH CENTURY PAPIER-MÂCHÉ ANATOMICAL MODELS AND THE TEACHING OF ANATOMY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE'


"Method of Production
Auzoux’s papier-mâché models were made in two ways. For hollow pieces such as an eyeball, a plaster mould was made and then cut in half. Up to twelve layers of torn strips of paper were placed in the moulds and set with paste. When dry, the two halves were sewn together with iron thread. An additional layer or two of paper strips was then added to the completed piece to cover the seam. Reusable leaden moulds set into blocks of wood were used for the solid pieces. These were lined with layers of glued paper, then filled with a paste of flour glue, shredded paper, chopped rags, blanc de Meudon (calcium carbonate), and poudre de Liège (powdered cork). These last two ingredients were Auzoux’s secret elements, used to strengthen the models.15 The two halves were aligned, forced together by a wooden press until dry, and then the components were reinforced with wire prior to being painted. The arteries, veins, and nerves were crafted from wire which was wound with coloured ribbons and then painted and glued into place."

OK Maviogun, here I sit, armed with Google translate, reading this a paragraph at a time.    Facinating, thank you.

I find the part about him being a solitary student, (atteint de monomanie) suffering from monomania.  Paper mache is a bit of a monomaniacal endeavor for me too, actually.  ; )

But the key description for me so far ...

to quote:
"Le génie du docteur Auzoux est d’avoir découvert une pâte qui, placée dans les coquilles creuses produites précédemment, permettait d’acquérir la densité suffisante pour fixer des attaches, articuler les pièces entre elles et disposer des armatures métalliques pour les modèles de grande taille. Les moules utilisés étaient alors en alliage métallique fixés sur des plateaux de hêtre. Les ouvriers réalisaient des coquilles cartonnées, plus fines que dans la technique précédente (3 �  4 couches de papier) puis y disposaient une pâte, la « terre », qui se composait de colle de farine, de papier finement déchiré, de filasse hachée, de blanc de Meudon et de poudre de Liège, ce dernier composant étant réputé être l’élément essentiel �  la réussite du moulage. La terre devait se trouver en quantité juste suffisante et le terreur la tassait �  l’aide d’un petit marteau. Le moule était ensuite refermé et placé sous une presse �  cidre modifiée qui, en plusieurs heures, compactait petit �  petit la « terre » et l’étalait jusqu’aux plus minutieux détails."

(referenced from LES MODELES EN PAPIER MACHE DU DOCTEUR AUZOUX AU MUSEE DE L’ECOLE NATIONALE VETERINAIRE D’ALFORT)

Which according to google translates into:

"The genius of Dr. Auzoux is to have discovered a paste, placed in the hollow shells produced previously, allowed to acquire sufficient density to establish ties, linking the pieces together and have metal fittings for large models . The molds were then used metal alloy plates fixed on beech. The workers were making cardboard shells thinner than in the previous technique (3 to 4 layers of paper) then it had a paste, the "earth", which consisted of flour paste, finely torn paper, chopped tow, whiting and powdered Cork, the latter component being deemed to be the essential element for successful molding. The earth must be just enough and the terror thronged with a small hammer. The mold was then closed and placed under a cider press that changed in several hours, gradually compactait "earth" and was spreading to the most minute details."

So my questions are: 

chopped tow?  (alternate translation 'of flax, of oakum -- (oakum appearing to be hemp or jute fibers ... or is there another meaning that I'm unaware of? edited -- I see from your above that these would be chopped rags perhaps) ...

And the sentence translated as "The earth must be just enough and the terror thronged with a small hammer."  ...  'the earth' is referring to the clay or mash composite.   The rest appears to be referring to how it gets mixed?  Something like 'beat it with a small hammer until it fears you?'   

While it's true, I regularly strike fear in the heart of my 'earth' ... I'd love for some of you others to weigh in.  Maviogun?  How are you interpreting it?

I did find a local industrial source for powdered cork, tho.  Apparently it's a waste product of producing cork stoppers.  There's a British tackle supplier that sells it in 1 liter containers for 5 pounds (where's the pound symbol on an keyboard?).

Fascinating.  I'll continue later, but thought I'd post my (long response) so far.  Thanks again for this!

-- Beth

Last edited by bmaskmaker (2012-04-27 01:50:36)

Pretty good translation, Beth!

'Throng' means press.  Press or mash it in with a small hammer.  Must be pretty stiff stuff!

'Chopped tow' is chopped fiber strands, as you said, probably a waste product or shredded rags.

I really liked your ''beat it with a small hammer until it fears you?' translation! 

Sue